Category Archives: The Holy Scriptures

In the Bible and in current days, we see various examples of arrogance. From Genesis to Revelation, we are shown examples of many insolent men. Genesis 4 lays out the arrogance of Lamech, a man that assumed that God would cover his sin. Asaph, in Psalm 73, describes those who live in rebellion, open mockers of God. Romans 1 shows us those that sin and approve of the sin of others, making a mockery of God’s holiness. But wait, let’s rewind for a moment and define what arrogance is.

Dictionary.com defines arrogance as making claims or pretensions to superior importance or rights; overbearingly assuming; insolently proud. We can look at Lamech, the wicked that Asaph observed, and the rebels in Romans 1, and say that yes, they are indeed arrogant. But what about now? Has man come so far that he does not show this arrogance now?

It still exists. It’s heard in the confident cries of “Well, God knows my heart”, “Well, only God can judge me”, “I’m a good person”, and many more. Culture as a whole, in our arrogance, we want to think that we’re good enough to gain right standing with God. We want to think that nothing we could do could warrant being damned to Hell. Hell is for those other people. And then there are those that would say, “Well I searched for God, and I found her, and she is me.” The acknowledgment of God is relegated to a false revelation of self. We who get sick, and need sleep, food, water, shelter, raiment… how could we be God? This is pure arrogance – an arrogance that assumes that God should accept us the way that we are, or that we ourselves are God. May we take a hard, long look at ourselves and see our flaws, fallibility, and finiteness.

But praise God that Jesus died for the arrogant. Romans 5:6-8 tells us that Christ died for the ungodly, the sinner. That’s me. That’s you, dear reader. That is everyone. God’s Gospel is not that Jesus died for the good enough, for the person that is barely a sinner. Yes, God does know the heart. He says it is desperately sick in Jeremiah 17:9. What a description! Desperately sick? Let’s unpack that word – desperate.

des·per·ate
–adjective
1.reckless or dangerous because of despair or urgency
2.having an urgent need, desire, etc.
3.leaving little or no hope; very serious or dangerous
4.extremely bad; intolerable or shocking
5.extreme or excessive

Our hearts are desperately sick. Excessively, hopelessly, shockingly, dangerously sick. That doesn’t leave us much room to boast there, does it? This is who we are. And in addition to us having desperately sick hearts, they are deceitful above all things! And with our desperately sick hearts, the same hearts that would cause us to deceive ourselves and make us believe that we are ‘in’ with God, or that we are God, there is only One Who can know our hearts! Jeremiah 17:10 shows us that it is the LORD that searches the hearts and tests the minds of man, and He gives to man what according to his ways, according to the fruit of their deeds.

Do we really want that? Romans 1:18-32 shows us what happens when the LORD gives to man according to his ways and deeds:

18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Though they know God’s decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Praise God that He would send His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for the arrogant, the ungodly… the sinner. In the Gospel, we see the wisdom of the only One that can truly boast – God Himself. In the Gospel, man is shown how wicked his sin is, and how it truly separates him from God. Because of our great sin, there is a wide chasm that we cannot cross on our own. There is only one way to cross this chasm and that is through Jesus Christ. God’s great love for His people is shown in the Gospel, that He would send His only Son, Jesus, to die for sinful man. If we confess our sin to God, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. When one confesses their sin, and places full hope in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sin, they are made righteous because of the perfect life that Christ life. The perfect life that Christ lived, a life we have no ability to live, is made ours when we place faith in Him. Isn’t that beautiful? Isn’t that amazing? This is God’s Gospel. When we stop believing the lie that we are God, or that we are okay on our own, when we humble our hearts before Him and realize that we have no standing before God on our own, then we can embrace the truth and strength of the Gospel. We are sinful, God is holy. Jesus lived a righteous life, our lives are unrighteous and ridden with sin. Let’s embrace this Gospel!!!

What an amazing God we serve!
In reading Luke 1 this morning, I marveled at how God caused Elizabeth to be pregnant with a son despite her being past child-bearing age. I also marveled at how He brought forth a baby in the womb of Mary despite her having known no man. How right Gabriel is when he says:

… nothing will be impossible with God.– Luke 1:37

Through Elizabeth and Mary, God brought forth John the Baptist, a means of grace, and Jesus Christ, the believer’s Lord and Savior. John was sent to warn the people to repent and turn from their sins. Jesus was sent to be the One that sinners turn in their repentance. How lovely is the Gospel. What a merciful Lord we know. How great Jesus is to condescend and become a man in order to die the death that we should’ve done. This God turns the hearts of men to Himself! It’s all of grace and all of mercy and all of pure love. Though I once was lost and rebellious, this God of the impossible called me to Himself and mercifully saved me. Blessed be His holy name!

And as we pray for family and friends that don’t know Jesus, let us remember that nothing is impossible with Him. Even though we may look at them and think it is close to hopeless, be encouraged — The same God that called us out of our mire can call them too. He is GOD!

O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath. Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing; heal me, O LORD, for my bones are troubled. My soul also is greatly troubled. But you, O LORD–how long? Turn, O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love. For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise? I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping.Psalms 6:1-6 ESV

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Psalm 63
1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

Reading this genealogy got me a bit excited, especially the last line. I was reading it and something on the inside went, “Yea!”

—————

Luke 3
23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,
38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.John 8:48-59 ESV

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